Introduction:

Hiking is a type of physical activity consisting of long walks in the countryside along signalized trails. To the World Health Organization, less-than-healthy body composition is a biological risk factor for non-communicable diseases.

Objective:

Determine the body composition of hikers from Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area.

Methods:

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted of 133 hikers, mean age 51.28 years. Body composition was determined by body mass index, fat percentage and waist circumference. Variables were analyzed as measures of central tendencies or frequencies, depending on their nature. Statistically significant differences were established by Fisher's exact test and Student's t-test, with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results:

Mean time of hiking practice was 4 years. Of the total participants, 93.23% practice hiking with a weekly frequency, 52.63% are overweight / obese, 33.08% have abdominal obesity, and 31.58% are obese in terms of fat percentage. No statistically significant differences were found between the sexes.

Conclusions:

Levels of overweight / obesity, central obesity, and fat percentage obesity among hikers are similar to those of the general population. It is recommended to implement a nutrition education program. It is suggested that future research approaches the remaining components of physical condition in the light of health and biological risk factors.

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